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in: Reaper as Main Supe, Paranormal Detectives as Main Supe, Demons as a Main Supe,
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Charley Davidson series

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First Grave On the Right (2011)-1

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1)-

The Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones. 

NEXT RELEASEs:

  • Seventh Grave and No Body #7, paperback — May 5, 2015
  • Eighth Grave After Dark #8 — May 19, 2015


TO HELP: The World-Building section need a descripton of the World (how it works)


Genres and Sub-Genres[]

Romantic Urban Fantasy for Adults / PNR (Paranormal Romance) — called by some:  "Chic-Lit"

  • Bridget Jones version of urban fantasy

Brief Series Description or Overview[]

✥ Charlotte “Charley” Davidson, a part-time private investigator helping the police with her ability to contact the dead in her full-time role as the Grim Reaper, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in a paranormal romantic suspense series.

✥ Charley Davidson es un investigador privado a tiempo parcial y segador a tiempo completo. Es decir, ve gente muerta. Realmente. Y es su trabajo convencerlos de que "salgan a la luz". Pero cuando estas personas muy muertas han muerto en circunstancias menos que ideales (como asesinato), a veces quieren que Charley lleve a los malos ante la justicia. Las cosas complicantes son los sueños intensamente calurosos que ha estado teniendo sobre una entidad que la ha estado siguiendo toda su vida... y resulta que tal vez no esté muerto después de todo. De hecho, podría ser otra cosa por completo. • Goodreads

Themes[]

  • Women private investigators
  • Women mediums

Books in Series[]

Charley Davidson series:

  1. First Grave On the Right (2011)
  2. Second Grave on the Left (2011)
  3. Third Grave Dead Ahead (2012)
  4. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (2012)
  5. Fifth Grave Past the Light (2013)
  6. Sixth Grave on the Edge (2014)
  7. Seventh Grave and No Body (Oct 21st 2014) — paperback: May 5, 2015
  8. Eighth Grave After Dark (Expected publication: May 19, 2015)
  9. The Dirt on Ninth Grave (January 5th 2016)
  10. The Curse of the Tenth Grave (2016)
  11. Undécimo Sepulcro a la luz de la luna (2017)
  12. El problema con la duodecima tumba (octubre de 2017)
  13. Convocado a la decimotercera tumba (enero 2019)

Shorts, Anthologies and Guides[]

Freebies:[]

World Building[]

Fang-tastic Fiction: Darynda Jones: CHARLEY DAVIDSON/GRAVES SERIES

Setting[]

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Places:

  • Calamity's: Charley's father's bar

Supernatural Elements[]

Reapers, ghosts, Lucifer, demons, Paranormal PI, grim reaper, Son of Satan . . . 

Glossary:[]

  • Hellhounds: Twelve deadly beasts forged in the fires of hell; after charley to server her to Satan
  • Grim Reaper: human beings such as Charley who serve as portals through whom spirits of the recently deceased reach heaven.
  • Daeva: Demon created from souls of Reyes lost brethren.

Groups & Organizations:[]

  • APD: Albuquerque Police Department
  • Sussman, Ellery, and Barber: Law firm where the murdered layers worked
  • Bandits: Local biker gang
  • FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation

World[]

✥

Protagonist[]

✥ Charley is a private investigator and works closely with the Albuquerque police department (namely her Uncle Bob who is a Detective) but she is also The Grim Reaper and her main job is to help dead people pass to the other side. This is a bonus for Charley in that she can often talk to victims and help solve their crimes. Charley is hilarious. There are things she doesn't know or understand and she does a lot of things on the fly. Charley has an assistant who is her best friend and who also lives right across the hall from her named Cookie. Cookie is the best friend ever. She is always there for Charley and accepts her as she is. ~ GR reader

Sidekick[]

  • Name: Angel / What: / Sidekick-to: / About: / Book First Seen:

Characters Chart[]

Characters What About
Charley, Charlotte Davidson PI, reaper she sees dead people. She is 27;
Reyes Alexander Farrow; aka Rey'aziel Son of Satan old acquaintance of Charley's, met as teens; he visits her in her dreams;
Garrett Swopes PI, skiptracer bounty hunter; possible live interest;
Cookie Kowalski best friend/receptionist friend: Mimi; lives right across the hall from Charley;
Amber Kowalski Cookie's daughter very sweet girl.
Mimi Cookie's friend disappeared;
Gemma sister serial killer's next target
Big Bad: Unknown being told Charley that she is a Grim Reaper; saved her life a number of times;
Angel Garza investigator, ghost Thirteen-year-old attitude-infested;
Robert (Bob) Davidson Police detective Charley's uncle who she calls Ubie; detective for the Albuquerque Police Dept;
Jean Davidson: bar owner, retired police officer Charley's father; owns the bar in the building where Charlie lives; used his daughter's powers to solve cases;
Kim Millar Reyes's sister
Amador Sanchez Reyes' cellmate
Taft: Albuquerque Police Initially skeptical of Charley's talents, he is forced to seek her help after being haunted by the ghost of a young girl
Denise Davidson step-mother Charley's step-mother
Mr. Wong Ghost hovers in Charlie's living room;
Neil Gossett Deputy Warden Penitentiary of New Mexico;
Rocket Ghost Charley's friend; lives in abandoned insane asylum; has knowledge of every single person who ever died;
Mark Weir accused suspect Man accused of murdering a teen boy; a client of the three dead lawyers; Charley tries to prove his innocence;
Teddy Weir missing boy Weir’s missing nephew; 
Janie Weir Mark's sister and Terry's mother; 
Pari artist Friend of Charley, shares space in her office;
Billy Native American ghost hangs around the detention center where he committed suicide;
Father Frederico Priest
Benny Price Strip clubs owner

To expand the table, in Edit–Visual mode, right-press on a Row of the table (Control-press on a Mac)—choose add Row or Column. Or, in Source Mode: copy-paste rows.

Darynda Jones

Darynda Jones

Author[]

Darynda Jones

Bio: NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. She currently has two series with St. Martin's Press, the Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Cover Artist[]

Artist: Tom Hallman (bks 1–2) — Cover: First Grave on the Right and Cover: Second Grave on the Left

Publishing Information[]

Publisher: Darynda Jones | Authors | Macmillan, St. Martin's Press

Book Cover Blurbs[]

✤ BOOK ONE—First Grave On the Right (2011): This whole grim reaper thing should have come with a manual. . . Or a diagram of some kind. . . A flow chart would have been nice. Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time grim reaper. Meaning, she sees dead people. Really. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (like murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. But what does he want with Charley? And why can't she seem to resist him? And what does she have to lose by giving in? With scorching-hot tension and high-octane humor, First Grave on the Right is your signpost to paranormal suspense of the highest order. ~ Goodreads | First Grave on the Right

✤ BOOK TWO—Second Grave on the Left (2011): If you hang around with dead people, life can get pretty complicated. Take it from Charley Davidson, part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Complicated is her middle name. The deceased find her very sparkly. Demons find her irresistible. And one entity in particular wants to seduce her in every way possible. When Charley and Cookie (her best friend/receptionist) have to track down a missing woman, the case is not quite as open and shut as they anticipate. Cookie's friend Mimi disappeared five days earlier. Mimi then sends Cookie a cryptic message telling Cookie to meet her at an nearby coffee shop. The coffee is brewing, but Mimi's still missing. There is, however, a clue Mimi left on the bathroom wall: a woman's name. Mimi's husband explains to them that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old high school friend had been murdered. The same woman whose name Mimi had scribbled on the bathroom wall. Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He's left his body because he's being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can't let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they'll have a portal to heaven...well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Can she keep those she loves out of harm's way? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel her as she does? Here is your signpost for the most hilarious read of the year: Second Grave on the Left. ~ Goodreads | Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, #2) by Darynda Jones

✤ BOOK THREE—Third Grave Dead Ahead (2012): Third Grave Dead Ahead is the third installment of Darynda Jones' award-winning paranormal series that's "hilarious and heartfelt, sexy and surprising." (J.R. Ward) Paranormal private eye. Grim reaper extraordinaire. Whatever. Charley Davidson is back! And she's drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because, every time she closes her eyes, she sees him: Reyes Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan. Yes, she did imprison him for all eternity, but come on. How is she supposed to solve a missing persons case, deal with an ego-driven doctor, calm her curmudgeonly dad, and take on a motorcycle gang hell-bent on murder when the devil's son just won't give up? ~ Goodreads | Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson, #3) by Darynda Jones

✤ BOOK FOUR—Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (2012): Welcome to the world of grim reaper extraordinaire Charley Davidson. Try as she might, there’s no avoiding her destiny. Sometimes being the grim reaper really is, well, grim. And since Charley’s last case went so awry, she has taken a couple of months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above...or at least get dressed. It becomes clear something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she’s insane. But the more they refute the woman’s story, the more Charley believes it. In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, is out of prison and out of Charley’s life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that the city of Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved. Just when life was returning to normal, Charley is thrust back into the world of crime, punishment, and the devil in blue jeans in this hilarious fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling series. ~ Goodreads | Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson #4) by Darynda Jones

✤ BOOK FIVE—Fifth Grave Past the Light (2013): Never underestimate the power of a woman on a double espresso with a mocha latte chaser high. - T-shirt... Charley Davidson isn't your everyday, run-of-the-mill grim reaper. She's more of a paranormal private eye/grim reaper extraordinaire. However, she gets sidetracked when the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves in next door. To further complicate matters, Reyes is her main suspect in an arson case. Charley has vowed to stay away from him until she can find out the truth...but then dead women start appearing in her apartment, one after another, each lost, confused, and terrified beyond reason. When it becomes apparent that her own sister, Gemma is the serial killer's next target, Charley has no choice but to ask for Reyes's help. Arsonist or not, he's the one man alive who could protect Gemma no matter who or what came at her. But he wants something in return. Charley. All of her, body and soul. And to keep her sister safe, it is a price she is willing to pay. Charley Davidson is at it again in the sexy, suspenseful, and laugh-out-loud funny fifth installment of the New York Times best selling series. ~ Goodreads | Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson, #5)

✤ BOOK SIX—Sixth Grave on the Edge (2014): Few things in life can come between a grim reaper and her coffee, but the sexy, sultry son of Satan is one of them. Now that Reyes Farrow has asked for her hand, Charley Davidson feels it's time to learn more about his past, but Reyes is reluctant to open up. When the official FBI file of his childhood abduction lands in her lap, Charley decides to go behind her mysterious beau’s back and conduct her own investigation. Because what could go wrong? Unfortunately, another case has fallen into her lap—one with dangerous implications. Some very insistent men want Charley to hunt down a witness who is scheduled to testify against their boss, a major player in the local crime syndicate. If Charley doesn't come up with an address in 48 hours, the people closest to her will start to disappear. Add to that a desperate man in search of the soul he lost in a card game, a dogged mother determined to find the ghost of her son, and a beautiful, young Deaf boy haunted by his new ability to see the departed as clearly as he sees the living, and Charley has her hands full. The fact that Reyes has caught on to her latest venture only adds fuel to the inferno that he is. Good thing for Charley she's used to multi-tasking and always up for a challenge…especially when that challenge comes in the form of Reyes Farrow. ~ Goodreads | Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson, #6) by Darynda Jones

✤ BOOK SEVEN—Seventh Grave and No Body (Oct 21st 2014): Twelve. Twelve of the deadliest beasts ever forged in the fires of hell have escaped onto our plane, and they want nothing more than to rip out the jugular of Charley Davidson and serve her lifeless, mangled body to Satan for dinner. So there’s that. But Charley has more on her plate than a mob of testy hellhounds. For one thing, her father has disappeared, and the more she retraces his last steps, the more she learns he was conducting an investigation of his own, one that has Charley questioning everything she’s ever known about him. Add to that an ex-BFF who is haunting her night and day, a rash of suicides that has authorities baffled, and a drop-dead sexy fiancé who has attracted the attentions of a local celebrity, and Charley is not having the best week of her life. A tad north of hell, a hop, skip, and a jump past the realm of eternity, is a little place called Earth, and Charley Davidson, grim reaper extraordinaire, is determined to do everything in her power to protect it. — We’re doomed. ~ Goodreads | Seventh Grave and No Body (Charley Davidson, #7)

✤ BOOK EIGHT—Eighth Grave After Dark (Expected publication: May 19th 2015): Goodreads | Eighth Grave After Dark (Charley Davidson, #8) by Darynda Jones

First Sentences[]

  1. First Grave On the Right: I’d been having the same dream for the past month–the one where a dark stranger materialized out of smoke and shadows to play doctor with me.
  2. Second Grave on the Left: "Charley, hurry, wake up."
  3. Third Grave Dead Ahead: There was a dead clown sitting in my living room.
  4. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet: I sat watching the Buy from Home Channel with my dead aund Lillian and wondered what my life would've been like had I not just eaten an entire carton of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Therapy with a mocha latte chaser.
  5. Fifth Grave Past the Light: The dead guy at the end of the bar kept trying to buy me a drink.
  6. Sixth Grave on the Edge: "A girl, a mocha latte, and a naked dead man walk into a bar," I said, turning to the naked dead man sitting in my passenger seat.
  7. Seventh Grave and No Body:
  8. Eighth Grave After Dark:
  9. The Dirt on Ninth Grave (Jan 5, 2016):
  10. Untitled ()
  11. Untitled ()

Quotes[]

“You rented the apartment with a dead guy in the corner?” I shrugged. “I wanted the apartment, and I figured I could cover him up with a bookcase or something".
“That took balls." — "Please," I said with a snort, "that took ovaries. Of which I have two.” — Charley, ― Darynda Jones, First Grave on the Right

Read Alikes (similar elements)[]

Awards[]

1. First Grave On the Right

  • Golden Heart (2009: Best Paranormal novel)
  • RITA Award (2012: Best First Book)
  • RITA Award Finalist (2012: Strong Romantic Elements)

✥ NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a Rebecca, two Hold Medallions, a RITA ®, and a Daphne du Maurier, and she has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the Library Journal.

  • 2012- Daphne du Maurier: Paranormal Romantic Mystery/Suspense
  • 2012- a RITA® : Best First Book
  • 2012 – 3 Bookie Awards
  • 2011-HOLT Medallion: Best First Book
  • 2011-HOLT Medallion: Best Paranormal
  • 2009- Winner of the RWA® Golden Heart® for Best Paranormal Romance Manuscript
  • 2009-1st place- GOTCHA! – FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT (suspense)
  • 2007-1st place- PASIC Book of your Heart – RILEY’S SWITCH (now titled DEATH AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR) (YA)
  • 2006-1st place-The Rebecca (LERA) –A THIEF AND A LIAR (historical romance)

Trivia[]

Unique lists:

Notes[]

✥ Chapter titles with the t-shirt and bumper sticker sayings:

  • Never knock on death’s door. Ring the doorbell then run. He totally hates that. —T-SHIRT
  • I may not look like much, but I’m an expert at pretending to be a ninja. —BUMPER STICKER

See Also[]

See Category links at bottom of page

External References[]

Books:

Freebies:

Summaries:

World, Characters, etc:

Reviews: 

Author:

Community and Fan Sites:


Gallery of Book Covers[]

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